The present invention relates to a means for aligning vehicle hitch assemblies, and, more particularly, to a hitch alignment means which aids a driver in aligning a coupling hitch portion associated with a towing vehicle with a mating coupling hitch portion associated with a towed vehicle.
Hitch assemblies for coupling a towing vehicle, such as a truck, to a towed vehicle, such as a trailer, are well known. Commonly, hitch assemblies include a ball device connected to or otherwise associated with a towing vehicle and a complementarily engageable socket device connected to or otherwise associated with a towed vehicle. Typically, such ball and socket devices are located at bumper level of the towing vehicle and towed vehicle and out of line-of-sight view of the driver. Aligning such devices, especially without the help of someone directing the driver, is difficult and frequently requires a number of trial and error attempts at alignment, which is time consuming and, in many instances, frustrating to the driver of the towing vehicle.
Many alignment devices have been proposed in the past in attempts to solve the problems of aligning vehicle hitch assemblies. Some of such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,084,953; U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,610; U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,356; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,627,634. Many of such alignment devices have taken the form of two piece constructions, one piece of which is attached to the towing vehicle and the other piece of which is attached to the towed vehicle, the separate pieces of which are mounted upon the vehicles in positions more visible to the operator of the towing vehicle and in such fashion that the two pieces of such construction are engaged with one another whenever the hitch assembly portions of the towed vehicle and the towing vehicle are in alignment. When such devices are utilized, alignment of the hitch assemblies can be realized by bringing the two separate pieces of the alignment devices into proper engagement, the accomplishment of which has generally still required some, hopefully lesser, number of trial and error attempts at alignment. It has been found that significant skill, and often times a great deal of time, is required in order to properly position the towing vehicle to effect the required engagement of the two pieces together. Additionally, many of such devices have been relatively complicated in design and have required users thereof to exercise significant care in the positionings of the two pieces thereof on the respective vehicles so that proper engagement of such pieces will result in the desired alignment of the vehicle hitch assemblies. In view of such factors, there has thus remained a need for a hitch alignment means which is of simple design and construction and easy to use.
The present invention is designed to obviate and overcome many of the disadvantages and shortcomings experienced with the alignment devices discussed hereinbefore and with other alignment devices used in the past, and to provide a hitch alignment meals which can be easily utilized to align vehicle hitch assemblies. Moreover, since the hitch alignment means of the present invention need not be attached to either the towing or towed vehicle, it offers the advantage that no modifications to either of the towing or towed vehicles are required.